they need to know we're on their side, a letter to Gil Scott Heron

Dear Gil,

We are members of an Israeli group called Boycott! which supports the Palestinian unified call for boycott divestment and sanctions(BDS) from Israel. We are appealing to you because of the respect we have for the work you have done for peace which has also inspired others to do the same.

You might not have heard, as you have said, about the BDS call and movement, but a broad coalition of Palestinian organizations have amongst other things, called on artists not to entertain apartheid Israel 1. Their call has been joined by Desmond Tutu and Bill Fletcher, Jr. amongst many others2. These calls followed the systematic ongoing oppression of Palestinians by Israel and Israel's decades long refusal to stop violating Palestinians human rights.

No artist has put the call for solidarity more compellingly than you did. Ten years before United Artists Against Apartheid protested the South African Apartheid [link], you said in 'Johannesburg': “the brothers over there are defyin' the man” and today too they “need to know we're on their side”. We think that this too is an opportunity for you to set an example for artists in supporting justice as you have done in the past.

Based on what we take to be your convictions which we share and respect, we hope that you refrain from entertaining Israeli Apartheid. Please cancel your planned performances in Israel.